


On Either Side Of A Dusty Stoop

by Garnet_Sekai



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Puns, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hope, Non-Verbal Frisk, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 18:40:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6295423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garnet_Sekai/pseuds/Garnet_Sekai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cold day, a snow-covered stoop beneath a giant stone door, and two brothers with nothing to do but wait, and talk, and comfort, as only a very great skeleton and his lazy older brother know how.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Either Side Of A Dusty Stoop

**Author's Note:**

> A what-if that's been rolling around in my mind for a while, as I am apparently on a quest to become literally The Worst.

When Papyrus reached the lonely little sentry station, it had just started to snow. The tall skeleton adjusted his scarf as he turned to look back, watching the prints of his boots start to fade out under the growing blanket of white.

Papyrus leaned over and looked inside for a moment. As always, a disorganized array of condiment bottles surrounded the roughly round spot the sentry normally stood, and a small pile of _typha_ plants were stacked haphazardly under the lip of the sill. Papyrus tutted quietly, and glanced up. As always, as well, snow coated the roof, decidedly too deep to have come from the just-begun flurry. Then again, every single one of these stations had snow on its roof to this consistent depth. Papyrus had begun to wonder sometimes if there was only one station, and whether it simply moved about to where it needed to be, much like its owner.

With a shake of his head, Papyrus turned. The mysteries of his fellow sentry could wait for another time. Right now, the simple fact that he was not present was the important one.

Beyond the sentry station, the trees drew in close and tight around the path. Even the human, small and wiry as they were, could not go that way, much less another monster. There was only one way to go, along the straight, snow-covered lane, across the small bridge and through the gate surmounting it (how _had_ the human crossed through there, anyhow? he wondered), and onwards, towards the place where the kingdom came to an end.

It ended, primarily because nobody could pass, at a great stone door, larger by far even than the king. In Papyrus' estimation, if there were a clone of Asgore riding on the original Asgore's shoulders, and Undyne rode on the clone's shoulders, she might just be able to reach the jamb with the very tip of her spear. Beyond lay the Ruins, where monsters had once had their capital. The door, however, was sealed by magic, and except perhaps for ghosts nobody could enter or leave, even if there were monsters there still (as his brother assured him a ghost had told him there were).

The door was a mystery, certainly. Who had sealed it? Why did the monsters who lived in Home want to stay there? Were they trying to keep someone out? But, today, the door was not important. Instead, the important thing was the small patch of blue Papyrus could see huddled against one corner of it.

"SANS!" Papyrus declared in his usual booming voice. "I THOUGHT I MIGHT FIND YOU SHIRKING YOUR DUTIES HERE, BROTHER!"

Sans' head had been lowered, but at the first sound of his younger brother's voice his skull whipped up to look. "... oh. hey papyrus." He paused. "you, uh, looking to swap jokes or something before you go capture the human? getting... _cold_ feet?"

Papyrus frowned. Sans' voice was nearly always a low, relaxed pitch, barely changing. The word "intertia" stuck in the younger skeleton's brain sometimes, and somehow he thought it fit well. But after so long, even the smallest deviation from his brother's mean was clear to Papyrus.

Sans was strained. Worried, even. And far more acutely sad than his usual state. Even that pun had been less than half-hearted.

Papyrus drew closer, shaking his head. "ACTUALLY, ABOUT THAT. I'VE ALREADY MET THE HUMAN, YOU SEE. AND, WELL, I SIMPLY COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO CAPTURE THEM! BEFORE I KNEW IT, THEY WERE OFFERING TO BE MY FRIEND!" He paused. "I, ER, WOULDN'T MIND YOUR ADVICE, CONSIDERING I HAVE TO GO TELL UNDYNE THE HUMAN ESCAPED."

Sans paused. "you... met them, huh? but you're not hurt?"

Papyrus beamed. "I AM PERFECTLY FINE, SANS! I TOLD YOU ALREADY, YOU DO NOT NEED TO WORRY. I AM, AFTER ALL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! AND AS SUCH, I AM VERY GREAT. EVEN HUMANS WISH FOR MY DEVOTED COMPANIONSHIP!"

Sans chuckled. "well, thanks, pap." He paused. "i think i'll stay out here a while longer."

Papyrus cocked his skull. "AH. ARE YOU PERHAPS WAITING FOR YOUR COMEDY PARTNER? I HOPE THEY COME BY SOON. WHENEVER YOU SPEAK TO THEM, YOUR BONES SEEM LIGHT AS AN AVIAN'S!"

Sans paused. "i, uh, don't think they're going to be coming today, pap."

Papyrus cocked his skull the other way this time. "OH? ARE THEY PERHAPS NOT FEELING WELL? PERHAPS WE SHOULD ASK THAT GHOST YOU KNOW TO BRING THEM SOMETHING."

The chuckle Sans gave in response made Papyrus wince. "nah. you can't feel unwell if you can't feel anything at all, y'know?"

For the first time, Papyrus noticed a peculiar drift of snow below the door. It spread out from the jamb as if someone had blown it out from behind, but only in one small area. The most peculiar aspect, however, was its color.

Papyrus let out a long sigh. Even someone as oblivious as he knew some monsters believed him to be would recognize it. "I SEE. WELL, PERHAPS IT WAS AN ACCIDENT?"

Sans lowered his head. A pale blue flame flickered in one eye socket. "c'mon, pap. an accident? after all this time, is that really what you're going to suggest?"

Papyrus sat down heavily beside the door opposite Sans, careful not to disturb the drifts of fine, dry snow. "NO, YOU ARE RIGHT. I AM SORRY, SANS, THAT WAS A PATHETIC ATTEMPT. NOT GREAT IN THE SLIGHTEST."

Sans shook his head. "now i just really don't get it. you fought them, but... here you are, and..."

Papyrus cut him off. "SANS, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO ALWAYS SAYS THAT HUMAN REASONS DON'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE. BUT, THEY DO HAVE ONE!"

Sans folded his knees up against himself. "but what? what reason could they have to spare you, but..."

Papyrus cut him off again. "I AM AFRAID EVEN MY GREAT MIND CANNOT THINK OF AN ANSWER." He nodded. "PERHAPS OUR WORDS WERE ABLE TO REACH THEM?"

Sans' chuckle was weak. "if they were trying to be a better person, papyrus... would either of us be here right now?"

Papyrus' face fell. He struggled to smile again. "WELL. PERHAPS, THIS TIME, THEY DECIDED THEY DID NOT WISH TO DEPRIVE YOU OF THE COMPANY OF YOUR WONDERFUL BROTHER!"

Sans stared at his knees. "well. i guess i can be thankful for their generosity this time."

The ridges above Papyrus' sockets squeezed together. "THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT, SANS. BUT I WISH YOU WOULD NOT PRETEND YOU ARE WILLING TO SETTLE. I CERTAINLY AM NOT!"

Sans nodded. "i know."

Papyrus sighed. "SANS, I... INVITED THE HUMAN OVER, ACTUALLY! THEY SEEMED SO PENSIVE THAT I THOUGHT THEY COULD USE SOME TIME RELAXING WITH THEIR COOL NEW SKELETON FRIEND!"

Sans nodded. "good for them."

Papyrus shook his head. "SANS, I KNOW YOU ARE WORRIED. YOU CAN KEEP AN EYE ON US IF YOU LIKE! JUST PROMISE YOU WILL NOT USE YOUR POWERS AND TRY TO HURT THEM. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CANNOT COUNTENANCE ATTACKING EVEN THE WORST PERSON WHILE THEY ARE UNDER OUR ROOF!"

Sans closed his eyes. "why're you here then? kid's waiting for you."

Papyrus smiled. "BECAUSE THEY ARE ALSO WAITING FOR YOU, BROTHER! THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE GOING FURTHER INTO WATERFALL FIRST. BUT WHEN I CALLED THEM LATER, THEY SAID THEY DID NOT MEET YOU AT YOUR STATION! THAT MUST MEAN THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG, AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL NOT SHIRK MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MY OLDER BROTHER!"

Sans seemed to sink into himself. "thanks, pap. i'll be okay though. just gotta tough it out until they get to the king. and hope they decide to go back."

Papyrus beamed. "THEY WILL! OF COURSE THEY WILL, SANS!" He shook his head. "THE HUMAN COULD NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH AN ENDING LIKE THIS. YOU'LL SEE!"

Sans sighed. "i guess." Inside his mittens, his fingers tightened their grip on his knees. "pap, how do you keep doing this? any of these times, the kid could just... decide to give up, leave things as they are. you know how this always ends."

Papyrus shook his head. "THEY WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH AN ENDING WHERE THE KING'S LIFE IS LOST EITHER! THE HUMAN IS VERY DETERMINED, AFTER ALL! SOMEDAY, THEY WILL FIND A WAY THAT LEAVES EVERYONE ALIVE AND WELL AND HAPPY! AND THEY WILL KEEP TRYING UNTIL THAT HAPPENS!"

Sans snorted. "or they get bored."

Papyrus shook his head. "YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS, SANS. DON'T YOU WORRY. THE HUMAN WON'T STOP TRYING, NO MATTER WHAT!"

Sans leaned back against the door. "sorry, pap. you're right, i am." He let out a long sigh. "if i may be honest for a second, though? sometimes, i just don't get it. how do you stay so... you?"

Papyrus broke into another broad grin. "THAT'S EASY! YOU SEE, I HAVE A SUPER-SECRET AND PROBABLY EXTREMELY UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN THAT REGARD!" He crossed his arms and nodded. "YOU SEE, I MAY HAVE LOST COUNT, BUT I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN QUITE A FEW TIMES YOU HAD TO GO ON WITHOUT THE COMPANY AND SUPPORT OF ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! EVEN IF IT WERE ONLY ONE TIME, THAT WOULD DISENHEARTEN ALMOST ANYONE!"

Sans sighed. "got that right. undyne does not take it well, you know."

Papyrus perked up. "BUT, YOU SEE. I HAVE NEVER ONCE HAD TO CONTINUE ON IN ANY TIMELINE THAT DID NOT INCLUDE MY COOL BIG BROTHER SANS! SO, YOU SEE, IT IS NOT REALLY FAIR TO COMPARE OUR REACTIONS TO OUR SITUATION!"

Sans' eyes opened up, widening. "pap, that..." He chuckled. "nah. it's more than just that. we could swap places next time the kid's out for dust, and you... you'd stay you."

Papyrus smiled. "DO NOT BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF, SANS. EVEN WHEN YOU LOSE BOTH ME AND YOUR SPECIAL FRIEND BEHIND THE DOOR, YOU DO WHAT YOU NEED TO AS WELL! I AM CERTAIN OF IT!"

Sans nodded. "yeah. i guess i do." He shook his head.

Papyrus shifted carefully in the snow. "SANS, FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE. YOU SHOULD OPEN UP LIKE THIS MORE! EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CANNOT HELP MY BROTHER IF HE KEEPS ME FROM KNOWING HOW UPSET HE IS!"

Sans sighed. "it's just, eventually this is going to stop. the kid's going to decide they're bored of resetting, and we'll just have to live with whatever they did that time."

Papyrus nodded. "BUT THAT IS WHAT DETERMINATION IS, SANS. THEY CAN KEEP TRYING AND KEEP TRYING UNTIL THEY ARE SATISFIED!"

Sans nodded. "and we have no choice but to just accept whatever satisfies them. no matter how awful of a timeline they decide on. even though nothing is guaranteed to be around in what they decide our world is going to become."

Papyrus puffed out his chest. "NOT SO! WE CAN GUIDE THE HUMAN, SANS! WE CAN HELP THEM TO BE A BETTER PERSON, AND SHOW THEM HOW MUCH THE THINGS WE LOVE MEAN TO US!" He smiled. "WHO KNOWS? MAYBE THEY'LL EVEN DECIDE THEY'RE NOT SATISFIED UNLESS THE TIMELINE INCLUDES THEM FINDING OUR CARETAKER!"

Sans blinked. "pap, c'mon, even for you, that's wishful thinking." He shook his head. "still calling him that, huh?"

Papyrus nodded. "THAT IS WHAT HE WANTED US TO CALL HIM! WHAT YOU AND I THINK OF HIM AS IS A SEPARATE MATTER. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO CALL PEOPLE WHAT THEY LIKE TO BE CALLED! EVEN IF I DON'T KNOW WHAT REASON HE COULD HAVE HAD FOR WANTING TO BE CALLED 'CARETAKER' INSTEAD."

Sans shook his head. "eh. even if he did come back, he'd probably have choice words for me."

Papyrus sighed a little. "PERHAPS A LITLE, BUT YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHY! EVEN WITH OUR CURRENT SITUATION, THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN DO!"

Sans groaned. "pap, that's just it. we can't. anything we do, the kid will just undo. until it's their last run."

Papyrus shook his head again. "BUT THAT'S NOT SO! SANS, YOU CANNOT CONFUSE A GENUINE REASON TO NOT ACT WITH AN EXCUSE TO BE SO LAZY! THE THINGS WE CREATE AND DO WILL BE LOST, YES, BUT OUR MEMORIES, THE THINGS WE LEARN, THE THINGS YOUR BRILLIANT MIND DREAMS UP... THEY SHALL REMAIN!"

Sans shifted. "eh. maybe that's true."

Papyrus huffed. "AND BESIDES! NO MATTER WHAT, YOU HAVE ALWAYS KEPT ON AS ALWAYS WITH THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU! FOR A LAZYBONES, YOU CERTAINLY MANAGE TO KEEP PACE WITH EVEN ME IN POPULARITY!" He smiled. "WELL, FINE, OUTPACE ME, EVEN! LAZYBONES OR NOT, YOU ARE VERY GREAT AS WELL!"

Sans shrugged. "can't be that great, considering how often i just stand back while the kid goes at it. doesn't really sound much like friendship..."

Papyrus shook his head. "SANS, DON'T BE SILLY! THAT JUST MEANS YOU SHOULD TRY TO BE EVEN GREATER, AS I DO! AND IN THE END, EVERYONE REALLY LOVES YOU. YOU DO KNOW THAT, RIGHT BROTHER?"

Sans' eyes softened. "to be honest, it's hard to remember sometimes. or feel like they should."

Papyrus nodded. "HONESTLY, THAT IS STRANGE TO ME, BROTHER! DID YOU NOT ALWAYS TELL YOUR OTHER HUMAN FRIEND ABOUT HOW THEY WERE A GOOD PERSON? NO MATTER WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF THEMSELF?"

Sans gave a long sigh and looked away. "i know that. i'm just... having a bad day, i guess. finding it a little tough to believe what i said back then." To himself, he muttered, "just like them."

Papyrus sat up a little. "WELL! THEN I THINK IT IS TIME FOR ONE OF UNDYNE'S RALLYING PHRASES!" He cleared his throat. "IF BELIEVING IN YOURSELF IS WHAT IS DIFFICULT, THEN INSTEAD YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IN THE SANS THAT BELIEVES IN YOU!" He paused. "I NEVR REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO MEAN. BUT APPARENTLY SHE AND ALPHYS FIND IT EXTREMELY MOTIVATING!"

Sans lifted his head and chuckled a little. "hey, i don't blame ya. i'm the same way, all that stuff she says goes in one ear..."

Papyrus gave a loud, audible sigh. "SANS..."

"... and out the other." Sans' eyes twinkled as he looked across. "what? did i say something?"

Papyrus shook his head. "WELL! AT LEAST YOUR QUESTIONABLE SENSE OF HUMOR IS RECOVERING!" He turned to face his brother. "I AM PERHAPS NOT AS GOOD WITH WORDS AS YOU OR YOUR FRIEND OR UNDYNE! BUT LET ME TRY SOMETHING OF MY OWN, IF I MAY."

With slow, careful motions, Papyrus bent to the stoop and gathered up some of the queerly-colored dry snow. Careful not to disturb the rest, he scooted forward on his kneecaps, across the stoop.

Sans coughed as what Papyrus had picked up cascaded lightly down over his head and shoulders. "pap? what are you doing...?"

Papyrus spread the snow carefully over the sleeves of Sans' hoodie. "ISN'T THIS WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN A MONSTER WE CARE ABOUT GOES ON VACATION?" he asked, his voice softer than Sans had ever heard it. "WE SPREAD WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND OVER THE THINGS THEY LOVE MOST."

Sans trembled on the spot, staring up at Papyrus. The younger skeleton smiled. "I DID REMEMBER RIGHT, DIDN'T I?"

Sans lowered his head and clung to Papyrus' scarf. "... yeah. you did remember."

He put out his hand as Papyrus went to continue. "hang on a sec, though. you're not supposed to do it on just one thing. we can't really get at most of the other things she loves, but..."

Papyrus settled back and watched as Sans gathered the last few bits into a pouch, leaving the stoop blanketed only in immaculate white again. "I SEE! I AM PROUD OF YOU, SANS."

Sans' eyes squinched gently inwards. "sorry you have to put up with me like this. you know i don't like making you have to be the one to hold up the big bro."

Papyrus nodded. "SANS, I CANNOT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU ACTUALLY SHOWED HOW HEAVILY YOUR BURDENS AFFECT YOU. YOU ARE THE STRONGEST PERSON I KNOW!" He paused. "WELL. PERHAPS EXCLUDING UNDYNE. BUT SHE SHOULD BE EXCLUDED ANYWAY! CONTESTS OF STRENGTH INVOLVING HER ARE A DEPRESSINGLY FOREGONE CONCLUSION!"

Sans stood carefully, holding the pouch close to himself. "well, if you say so. anyway, don't you have a date to get to?"

Papyrus stood as well, leaning against the door. "IN A LITTLE WHILE! I STILL HAVE SOME TIME TO SPARE FOR MY FAVORITE AND ONLY BIG BROTHER IN THE WHOLE UNDERGROUND!"

Sans' eyes crinkled a bit more. "oh yeah? time to spare for what?"

Papyrus thought for a moment. "RIBS?"

Sans groaned. "oh man, pap, that was almost as bad as you pretend your cooking still is."

Papyrus grinned. "I AM STILL TEMPTED TO SHOW THE HUMAN JUST HOW GOOD MY SKILLS HAVE BECOME! EVEN IF THAT WOULD PROBABLY REVEAL HOW MUCH THE TWO OF US KNOW."

Sans laughed. "yeah, probably not a good idea. tempting, but not just yet."

Papyrus nodded. "BUT, WE SHALL SOMEDAY! WE WILL HELP THE HUMAN FIND A WAY THAT WILL TRULY SATISFY THEM, AND THEN THE CYCLE THAT BURDENS YOU SO WILL BE FINISHED!" He smiled. "AND THAT PATH WILL INCLUDE ALL OF US TOO, YOU WILL SEE! YOUR COMRADE IN COMEDY, AS WELL!"

Sans leaned against the other side of the door. "and, well, maybe you're right. maybe they will. it'd be nice, huh?"

Papyrus nodded. "WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY CAN ACCOMPLISH? EVEN UNDER THE CYCLE'S BURDEN, WE CAN STILL LEARN! WE CAN STILL HELP THEM TO LEARN, AND TO GUIDE THEM! IF THE CHOICE LIES IN THE HUMAN'S HAND, WE MUST SIMPLY HELP THEM UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RIGHT CHOICE IS!"

Sans nodded. "yeah. yeah, you're right." He shifted. "maybe they can even help... well..."

Papyrus nodded. "I CANNOT SAY I AM SURE WHO YOU ARE THINKING OF, SANS, BUT I AM SURE THE HUMAN CAN HELP EVEN THEM!" He smiled. "BUT, WE DO STILL HAVE SOME TIME TO OURSELVES, BEFORE THE HUMAN EITHER COMES FOR THEIR DATE OR REACHES THE HOTLAND BORDER. PERHAPS..."

Sans nodded. "right, hotland border. i can invite them to grillby's from there instead, good idea." He chuckled. "and perhaps... what?"

Papyrus cleared his throat, and rapped his bony knuckles against the stone door. "KNOCK KNOCK!"

Sans' eyes widened in joy. "who's there?"

"WASHINGTON!"

Sans snickered. "washington... who?"

Papyrus crossed his arms. "I AM WASHINGTONS OF DISHES, COME AND HELP ME FOR ONCE, YOU LAZYBONES!"

Sans leaned on the door, holding his sides. "papyrus, no."

"PAPYRUS YES! NYEH HEH HEH!" Papyrus grinned. "I HAVE ALSO BEEN PERUSING SOME OF YOUR REMEDIAL TEXTS, AND I THINK I HAVE COME UP WITH ONE YOU WILL ENJOY!" He cleared his throat again. "TELL ME, SANS. HOW MUCH WATER CAN YOU FIT INTO A POOL ON THE PORCH?"

Sans blinked. "on the... porch? i dunno, pap, how much water?"

Papyrus' eyes twinkled amber for a moment. "WHY, OF COURSE, A DECK-A-LITER!"

Sans beamed. "pap, we'll make a skele-pun out of you yet."

Papyrus planted his hands firmly on his hips. "NATURALLY! DID YOU FORGET? I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! AND I CAN BE VERY GREAT AT ANYTHING I PUT MY MIND TO! EVEN CRAFTING JOKES SO AWFUL THEY MAKE MY SKIN CRAWL!"

Sans chortled. "you, uh, don't have skin, pap. we're skeletons."

Papyrus lifted his chin. "THAT IS JUST HOW AWFUL THESE JOKES ARE!"

Sans laughed. "okay, bro, but you'd better prepare yourself. when it comes to practicing my comedy, i don't hold back."

Papyrus nodded. "THAT IS WHAT I WANT! COME AT ME WITH THE SAME INTENSITY THAT YOU WOULD SHOW YOUR FRIEND! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GIVE YOU A PRACTICE SESSION THAT EVEN SHE WOULD BE PROUD OF!"

"well, then." Sans rapped his knuckles hesitantly on the door. "knock knock."

Papyrus tensed. "WHO IS THERE?"

Sans hesitated for a long moment. Papyrus opened his mouth to ask if he had forgotten his joke, but Sans raised a finger. "dishes."

Papyrus blinked. "DISHES WHO?"

Sans' eyes softened. "dishes a very bad joke."

Papyrus hooted with laughter. "WOWIE! IT MOST CERTAINLY IS INDEED!" He paused. "HM. THE JOKE THAT COMES IMMEDIATELY TO MIND... IS NOT ACTUALLY A KNOCK-KNOCK JOKE! IS THAT ALL RIGHT?"

Sans nodded. "sure. she came up with some real howlers sometimes, it's cool if we mix it up." He winked. "but, what, not gonna go with 'pasta soda, i'm thirsty'?"

Papyrus snorted. "VERY WELL, THEN! TELL ME, SANS, WHEN IS A NOODLE NOT A NOODLE?"

"i... i dunno. when... when is a noodle not a noodle?" Sans was forcing himself not to laugh.

Papyrus posed triumphantly. "WHY, WHEN IT IS AN IMPASTA, OF COURSE!"

Sans beamed. "pap, that was awful. truly worthy of your current audience." He nodded. "okay. knock, knock..."

After so many jokes Papyrus was starting to feel like his face really _was_ going to stick that way, Sans let out a sigh. "all right, i think that's good for today. usually about as long as she and i go at it." He chuckled. "besides, you've got a date, right?"

Papyrus stretched, rolling his jaw visibly. "THAT IS TRUE! AND I WILL NEED SOME TIME TO PREPARE, AS WELL. I WILL BE MAKING SPAGHETTI FOR THEM, OF COURSE!" He put a hand to the side of his mouth and whispered. "BUT KEEP THAT UNDER YOUR HAT... OR, I SUPPOSE, MINE! NYEH HEH HEH."

Sans leaned against the door and rapped his knuckles against it. "hang on a sec. can i get one more in before you get cooking?" He winked. "literally and metaphorically."

Papyrus crossed his arms, leaning back against the door. "I SUPPOSE!" He gave a long-suffering sigh.

Sans cleared his throat. "knock knock."

Papyrus nodded impatiently. "YES, WHO IS THERE?"

Sans' eyes lowered. "thank."

Papyrus blinked. "THANK WHO?"

Sans laughed softly. "you gotta ask? thank _you_ , pap."

Papyrus nodded. "IN THAT CASE... KNOCK KNOCK!"

Sans blinked. "who's there?"

"SNOW!"

"snow who?"

Papyrus puffed up. "SNOW PROBLEM, BROTHER!"

Sans burst out laughing. "papyrus, stop, i'm gonna herniate myself from laughing too hard." He straightened up. "you really are as great as everyone says you are."

Papyrus polished a spot on his armor with his glove. "NATURALLY! AM I NOT THE GREAT PAPYRUS?" He chuckled. "BUT YOU, TOO, CAN BE THE GREAT SANS AGAIN! YOU WILL, SOMEDAY! AND THE HUMAN WILL BE THE GREAT FRISK, WITH OUR HELP!"

Sans winked. "hey, now. spoilers. we're not supposed to know the kid's name yet."

Papyrus puffed. "SPOILERS FOR WHO? NOBODY IS EVEN AROUND! I AM ALLOWED TO DREAM ALOUD WITH MY BIG BROTHER ABOUT SECRETS ONLY WE KNOW ABOUT!"

Sans laughed. "okay, okay."

Papyrus glanced at his phone. "OH! ALPHYS SAYS THAT UNDYNE IS CONFRONTING THE HUMAN! SANS, THAT IS YOUR CUE! AND MINE, AS WELL!"

As Papyrus turned around and began dialing on his phone, Sans stepped lightly backward, past the frame of the door. A moment later, he was slumped at a dilapidated sentry station with a snow-covered roof, half-lidded eyes looking out across the heat-distorted cavern.

He managed a slight nod as he caught sight of two figures in the distance. A huge, imposing, fish-like monster wearing heavy plate armor and a patch over one of her yellow eyes. With another slight nod, Sans noted the form of her armor. In front of her, panting for breath in the hot air, a human child in an oversized sweater was running full-tilt.

Or they were, until their phone suddenly rang loudly in the echoing rocky tunnel, both pursuers slowing to a stop as the human lifted their phone. Sans could faintly hear Papyrus' cheerful voice even from his station. Undyne crossed her arms and grumbled to herself, standing a short distance away with her spear lowered.

With a chuckle, Sans slumped down on the station's sill and closed his eyes completely. _well, if we're letting ourselves dream a little... 'the great chara' kinda has a nice ring to it..._ He heard the sound of running feet, and peeked a single eye open, meeting the gaze of a pair of sleepy, almost-closed brown eyes for a moment before slipping back into false sleep. _but... gonna need the great frisk's help for that one... what'cha say, kiddo?_

The howl of indignation as Undyne saw the sentry "sleeping on the job" almost made Sans burst out laughing no matter how many times he heard it. With the human still on the run, though, she didn't have time to stop and yell at him over it.

It was a few minutes longer before Sans heard the sound of Undyne clanking her way past him, on her way back towards the cool of Waterfall. When he opened his eyes, the human was standing there, staring hesitantly at him. Their heavy-lidded eyes were open a little, enough to see the warm, loamy brown there.

Sans' eyes softened a little. "hey, kiddo." He shifted, and sat up. "sorry i missed you before."

The human tilted their head quizzically, and Sans chuckled. "i was planning to meet you at my other sentry station, back at the snowdin border. but, uh. bumped into pap, and he was so excited we ended up talking for a long while."

The human shifted. Their hands moved in a careful rhythm. Sans' eyes softened further. "yeah, it was over there." He sighed. "we don't have to talk about it. i wanted to meet up for a different reason, anyway."

The human's hands moved again, and Sans raised his own. "please. it's fine. i'm used to rolling with the punches of life, trust me. i... still believe in you." He stood. "anyway. i hear you've got a date lined up with a certain skeleton we both know pretty well." He winked. "so i bet you're eager to get to that, but... wanna hit up grillby's first? i was planning to ask you back in snowdin, but..."

He trailed off. The human had leaned forward and taken his hand in both of theirs, a shy smile on their face. The noise that had interrupted Sans the moment they had grabbed hold did nothing to dampen it.

Sans winked. "see? it's always funny. c'mon, i got a shortcut lined up." Still holding the human's hand gently, he walked off to the east, across the Hotland bridge. Moments later, the two were gone.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So as you might have guessed, the title is a reference to simplycarryon's work On Other Side of a Stone Door. The parallels just matched up too perfectly in my mind not to parallel the titles as well. Plus it's never bad to give simply a shout-out, because their stuff is way too good not to.
> 
> I to this day am not sure -exactly- where this came from. A bunch of stuff about Papyrus (especially his neutral run death text which is somehow really morbidly hilarious?) sort of piled up on me on a walk and suddenly the thought came into my mind:  
> "What if Papyrus knew about the resets too?"  
> From there things just sort of snowballed, because deep down I am The Worst and have a burning absolute need to prove it to the world. Also this is yet another fic where I'm picking up on the theory that Sans and Chara knew each other before everything went to hell (see also Humerus Discourse) because it just adds too much meaning to the Sans/Chara fight in a geno run for me to pass it up.  
> Also I find amusement in the idea of Papyrus -actually- learning how to cook spaghetti over the course of however many countless runs he's faced so far (this isn't Aftertale canon, where Frisk and Chara were on their own and only did three runs, this person has been doing a LOT and may well be under a Very Bored Player's influence) and having to keep it a secret how good he's gotten.  
> Mostly, though, I wanted to explore how someone other than Sans would react to this kind of knowledge, that the world exists and is guided solely at the whim of two very upset children barely at or past the age of ten. And Papyrus... well, you've seen here what that makes Papyrus into. At the same time, I didn't want to make Sans into his opposite. There's a lot of points where he doesn't see the world how Papyrus does, but even at his lowest, Sans does have his own kind of grim determination and strength. If anything, Papyrus' opposite... well, I actually want to see what people think about that. I do have my own idea on that, but, well. This whole fandom is founded on what we weave out of the negative space, after all, so I should leave some as well. And I'm curious to see whether other people think the same way, or something totally different!
> 
> Oh, and I take full responsibility for Papyrus' absolutely wretched pool joke. (In science, ten liters of fluid are equivalent to a unit of measure called a decaliter.) This is why you don't let Papyrus near Sans' crazy science books...


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